


We are all fools in love

by serendipitous_rambles



Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Canon Divergence, F/M, S3 AU, Tumblr Prompt, jealous gilbert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:08:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22962910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serendipitous_rambles/pseuds/serendipitous_rambles
Summary: Gilbert wouldn't consider himself a jealous person, but when he notices Charlie beginning to notice Anne...he may have to reconsider.
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Comments: 7
Kudos: 286





	We are all fools in love

**Author's Note:**

> _If it's possible to ask for a prompt: during season 3 Gilbert gets really jealous over a boy flirting with Anne (trying to court her). So jealous that he confronts her and ends up confessing his feelings for her. I just love passionate fights and happy endings so I'd be so happy if you could write this. Thank you very much ___
> 
> \- tumblr prompt

Gilbert wasn't one to get jealous, he tried to be happy with the cards he was dealt - no matter how rough they had been in recent years. But lately he felt an odd sinking feeling in his chest whenever Charlie Sloane brought up Anne. 

It had started innocently enough, so innocently that Gilbert had barely registered Anne's name in the conversation, smiling politely to his friend as he focused on his studies. All Charlie had said was, "Have you ever noticed Anne's hair has gotten darker?"

Gilbert shrugged, glancing briefly at Anne before returning to his books. "It looks the same to me."

But that was a lie. He certainly had noticed, although a part of him wished he hadn't. He denied he ever did, but in the first few months of knowing her he had been drawn to her hair in class, always staring at it in awe of how it could capture the light so well it looked like she was on fire. Something he couldn't touch but wanted to. Now he had "grown up" he wasn't focused on silly school boy infatuations. He was focused on his studies, in denial that those same red braids would creep into the back of his mind when he was unawares.

Yet those innocent words from Charlie buried in him, deep down at first but slowly rising to the surface with every passing day.

Gilbert found more than once when he looked up from his studies, Charlie was glancing in the direction of Anne. He tried not to let it bother him. After all, why should he care who looked at Anne? But time after time this kept happening, and Gilbert found himself having to relax his jaw, not even realising he had clenched it in the first place.

* * *

The whole "take notice board" thing had never interested Gilbert. Being almost 2 years older than his other classmates never really felt different to Gilbert, but lately he was starting to feel it. He had better things to do than partake in these childish games. This bitterness certainly didn't come from when Anne tried to get him to write about Ruby….not at all. As if he would ever write a note. If he was going to tell someone how he felt, he would want to tell her to her face. (He refused to acknowledge the brief moment of hope when Anne talked about the future.)

While his classmates hovered around the board, be preferred to spend time reading the papers with Miss Stacy. She'd recently just enlightened him on her doctor friend in Toronto, and lately Toronto sounded a lot better than Avonlea. He still found himself wondering at times why he even came back. A foolish part of him had said he missed his friends (but deep down he knew it had something to do with Anne whether or not he wanted to consciously admit it).

"A female doctor? How marvelous!" Anne's voice came from behind him, clearly having eavesdropped on their conversation.

But he found himself relaxing around her, once again not realising he'd been tense before she appeared. Something about Anne's presence just made him feel...safe. He didn't feel like he had to pretend or be something he wasn't. He could be just Gilbert. 

But before he could open his mouth Diana had burst through the door, "Anne! You're on the board! The take notice board! Charlie! He noticed you!"

Gilbert's eyes met Anne's; he wasn't sure what he was feeling inside, but his stomach dropped at the mention of Anne being noticed. She had an apologetic look on her face as Diana grabbed her arm and pulled her away.

Gilbert sighed, sitting down in the chair perhaps too aggressively as Miss Stacy seemed to notice.

"I don't mean to pry where I don't belong," Miss Stacy glanced over the top of her paper, "but I don't agree with this take notice board."

"That makes two of us." Gilbert's forehead creased, trying not to think about what could possibly be written about Anne on that board.

"But," Miss Stacy continued, "telling someone how you feel may not be the worst thing in the world."

Gilbert shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "When I find the right person, I'll know."

Miss Stacy lowered her paper to look at Gilbert, "I hope so."

* * *

He didn’t know what had come over him, but here Gilbert was hand in hand with Anne as they danced in a circle in the middle of the school house. Moments ago he had been opposite her, but his hands had a mind of their own and had grabbed hold of Anne’s pulling her to stand beside him. He felt giddy, the feel of her hand in his so natural, everything he had imagined it would be. (Not that he had ever imagined it before...nope, not at all…) 

Maybe he had been urged on by the words he had overheard yesterday:

_“So Anne, are you going to dance with Charlie tomorrow?”_

Something about the way the girls had giggled, as if dancing even meant anything romantic, had stuck in Gilbert’s mind all the way home. He’d been in a slightly sour mood at the thought of Anne dancing with Charlie, but once again he pushed the blame onto something else like merely feeling stressed about his studies and that was why he was in a bad mood. But when he got to school and saw how Charlie was calculating where to stand in order to dance with Anne (the only time he ever got a calculation correct), Gilbert had cringed. 

Charlie Sloane was far from the romance that Anne deserved. Gilbert knew her well enough to know that she deserves someone who was her equal, who could match her not overpower her. He also knew Charlie well enough to know he was certainly not looking for a wife as outspoken as Anne, he wouldn’t understand her. The whole match just wouldn’t work. 

He couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous his friend was acting, and somehow he turned that energy into playfulness. There was something about Anne and the music that made him forget who he was for a moment, stealing Anne away from Charlie before he even got the chance to dance with her properly.

When it was all over, Gilbert found himself unable to move from that place. Something had taken over him, reawoken some feelings he had tried to push deep down. Anne held his gaze, the same amused but also uncertain look on her face before she smiled and stepped back from him.

This was all wrong, Anne was his friend and he couldn’t have feelings for his friend. They wouldn’t work, they’d just argue. But lately they had been on such good terms, and any arguments had stemmed out of a place of passion for doing the right thing. Lately it hadn’t been Anne vs Gilbert, but rather Anne and Gilbert vs the world. They knew that whenever they fought it was because they cared, not because they wanted to hurt each other. 

All these confusing thoughts kept running around Gilbert’s mind. Was Anne truly the one for him? When he tried to picture the future he couldn’t imagine one where Anne didn’t play some role in his life. But what was that role? 

He’d been so deep in thought he had almost bumped into the girl in question, their eyes locked in a terrified gaze. She turned from him before he could even think of anything to say, running out the door.

He went to follow but then hung back, suddenly unsure. There was something he needed to say to her but he couldn’t figure out what, only that he knew he wanted to talk. Instead he paced up and down, stuck between the two paths: either follow Anne or return home alone.

With a deep breath he decided he would talk to her, just to say sorry for how he had acted during dance. Maybe he’d scared her off with his spontaneity, he had certainly scared himself a little, forgetting how he used to be before everything in his life had made him grow up far too fast. 

But as he started in her direction, he felt lighter, holding himself higher. It was in that moment he realised Anne made him feel different but in a good way. She made him feel free, made him feel like he could be himself, someone who understood him. No one else could make him feel this way. It was a way he always wanted to feel. 

His feet had picked up into a run, no clue what his mouth was supposed to say when he got there. But he never got the chance, his feet stopping himself just as quickly as they had started. 

  
Charlie. He was talking to Anne. _Walking_ with her. So that was it. Whatever had happened between them during dance had obviously been unrequited. He thought maybe she had felt that tension between them, the jolt when their hands touched, how alive it made him feel. But here she was walking home with Charlie Sloane…

* * *

Gilbert had been avoiding Anne, trying not to look at her during class or responding to her questions in monosyllabic sentences. It felt like they'd gone back a step, everything they'd worked for in the past year just gone. Back to square one where they barely interacted. He told himself he was better off focusing on his studies, it had been foolish of him to get distracted anyway.

But Anne clearly didn't see it that way.

"What is your problem?" She stormed up to him after class one day after he barely acknowledged her goodbye.

Diana and the other girls had slowly formed a group behind her, Gilbert awkwardly looking between them and Anne. 

"Uh, nothing?" He furrowed his brows, trying his best to act nonchalant but failing.

Anne turned to face her friends and a moment later they were slowly being led away by Diana, leaving just Anne and Gilbert.

"I just noticed you weren't joining in with everyone as much this week. I thought... something had happened."

Gilbert adjusted his bag strap, not making eye contact with Anne. He didn't want her feeling bad about him. "All everyone seems to talk about anymore is who likes who and who walked who home. I have other things to worry about than courting that's what everyone else seems to be occupied with...this waste of time."

Anne scoffed, folding her arms. "Not  _ everyone _ is talking about courting."

Gilbert couldn't help himself,  _ "Oh  _ please I've seen you and Charlie Sloane making eyes."

"Making eyes? Is this what this is about? Why do you care anyway?"

"I don't." Gilbert shrugged and began to walk away, getting out before he said something else he'll regret.

But Anne wasn't leaving it alone. "What? Is it because someone is actually showing interest in me? I'm so repulsive that it's a joke to you? That the whole idea is absurd?"

"What? Of course not." Gilbert stopped walking, turning to face her again.

"Then what's the problem?" Anne threw her hands in the air.

"I... forget it." He shook his head.

"Are you…. _ jealous _ ?"

"No. I don't care who you walk home with."

Anne almost laughed, "You  _ are _ ! You're jealous!" She pointed her finger at him, anger in her voice. "I can't believe you."

"Why would I be jealous?"

"I don't know. One of your mind tricks to make me distracted so you can beat me in class?"

Gilbert's shoulders deflated, "You think I'd stoop that low, mess with your feelings? Is that really what you think of me?"

She shrugged, "I don't know…"

"Anne…" he whispered.

They held each other's gaze for a while, and Gilbert couldn't take it anymore, couldn't take the silence. He had to do something or Anne would think he hates her when right now that's the furthest thing from the truth. 

Without thinking his hand cupped her cheek, before he leaned in a kissed her.

But suddenly he pulled back, realising what he'd done. Anne stared up at him, eyes wide. He couldn't tell what she was feeling, if he'd just ruined everything.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I understand if you never want to see me again-"

His words were interrupted by Anne pressing her lips against his in return, her hands linking around his neck. It took a moment to react, before he kissed her back again, holding on to her waist trying to pull her closer.

They finally broke apart, Gilbert lightly touching his forehead to Anne's.

"Anne... I don't know why it took me so long to realise. But it's you. It always has been."

"For the record, I don't like Charlie Sloane like that."

"No?" Gilbert smiled, feeling Anne touch their noses together as she shook her head.

"No. Did you know he told me women who think too much can't have children?"

"That's... scientifically inaccurate." He laughed, but there was a sour feeling in his chest that someone had the audacity to say something like that to Anne.

"Turns out he's not a prince charming type."

"Am I?" Gilbert playfully raised an eyebrow, and Anne rolled her eyes.

"We'll have to see."

"I hope I am." 

"Me too." She smiled, leaning in to kiss him once again.

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like the end section kind of escalated fast but they're both dramatic?


End file.
